Three-six-nine Wiki
This wiki is intended to serve as a system reference document for my homebrew RPG system, currently titled "369". There are three base attributes (Fitness, Intellect, and Acumen), six fundamental attributes (Might, Toughness, Logic, Willpower, Reflex, Insight) which are used for skill rolls and determine the values of base attributes, and a player will never roll more than nine dice on one roll. The system is intended to be very flexible and though it is geared toward a default campaign setting, it can be adapted to a setting you wish to play in with a little work. The Basics What to Roll 369 uses a d6 system to determine the outcome of events. In order to succeed at a task, a character makes a check '''(see below), rolling a number of dice determined by a relevant attribute and applicable modifiers. For combat damage and armor rolls, the”dice+adds” system is used. Additionally, every character possesses what is called a '''Fate Die. The Fate Die represents a character’s inherent luck and is added to the total number of dice when making any check. It can have additional effects should characters buy certain Qualities '''(see Qualities section). Regardless of any potential modifiers that might remove dice from a roll, a character can never lose their Fate Die. Even when all seems lost, sometimes dumb luck can save the day. When to Roll To avoid bogging down the game, the GM should only require a roll if a PC is at risk or stands to gain something valuable. This includes, but is not limited to, health, wealth, allies, reputation or equipment. This can come in the form of combat, chases, espionage, criminal activity, and other “adventuring” tasks. The GM should generally never require rolls for everyday activities and utterly trivial tasks such as crossing the street, taking care of the dog, filing your taxes, working at your day job, and so forth. Note that while the player normally handles his/her own character’s rolls, there are certain situations where the GM may want to roll instead, hiding the results from the player. This is perfectly acceptable for when a character wouldn't have known whether or not they succeeded, or when a player shouldn't know what’s going on. Checks and Contests A '''check '''is any die roll that is used to perform an action (e.g. use a skill). On a check, a character rolls a number of dice determined by adding their Fate Die to the relevant attribute, plus or minus a number of dice based on any applicable modifiers (explained below). When rolling, the target number is 5 or higher; each 5 or 6 rolled is considered a '''success '''or '''hit. The more hits you have, the better the result, though scoring one or more hits does not always mean success. Most “adventuring” tasks generally require two hits to succeed on, with any extra hits improving the character’s result. Depending on the nature of the task, more hits may be required, but this is ultimately left to the GM’s decision. As a general guideline, easy tasks require 1 hit, average tasks require 2 hits, hard tasks require 3 or 4 hits, and impossible tasks require 5 or more hits. During a check, if a character scores three or more hits above what is needed to succeed, then a critical success has occurred. A critical success means that a character performed an action or task with absolute perfection. This cancels out any mishaps '''that might have occurred (see below). Additionally, the GM should provide the character with a small bonus related to the action or task. Note that extra hits from the Rule of Nine (see below) do not count toward determining a critical success; a character must still physically roll at least three hits on the dice. However, if more than half the total dice come up 1s, then a '''mishap '''has occurred.A mishap is a minor fluke that causes an inconvenience of some kind. For example, the character might stumble during melee combat, making defending themselves more difficult, or shift into the wrong gear while operating a vehicle, causing it to drift off course. Note that a character can still succeed when a mishap occurs. If a mishap occurs on a roll with no hits, it becomes a '''critical failure. Critical failures are far worse than mishaps; they can cause injury or even loss of life, and are always considered a failed roll regardless of skill ranks or other modifiers. In either case, the exact results are decided by the GM. A contest '''occurs when two characters are working directly against one another. In this case, the chance of success is determined more by the opponent than the environment. During a contest, both characters roll a skill check, comparing their number of hits to determine which party succeeds. In the event of a tie, success goes to the character with the higher relevant attribute, or to the "defending" character. Some situations might require a character to act against an entire group at once. Only roll once for the group, using the highest roll of all its members. However, add an additional die to the group’s roll for each member beyond the first, up to a maximum of five. Modifiers '''Modifiers '''can add or subtract dice from a check, usually coming into play due to certain environmental conditions or equipment quality. For example, trying to climb a cliff face in bad weather might give -1 or -2 dice to the total number rolled, based on the severity of the conditions. However, if the climber had proper climbing gear, the roll would be given +1 or +2 dice, depending on the quality of his equipment. Modifiers generally stack with each other unless otherwise stated. In the above example, climbing with good equipment in severe weather would amount to a total modifier of +0; the two would effectively cancel one another out. As a general rule of thumb, any given modifier should fall somewhere between -5 (extremely hazardous conditions) and +5 (extremely favorable conditions). The Rule of Nine When it comes to making checks, the number of dice rolled can start to add up. The '''Rule of Nine helps to combat that by capping the number of dice a player would roll on a check. If your total number of dice from attributes and modifiers ever exceeds 9, each die above that amount simply counts as a hit on your roll, much like how skill ranks work (see Skills below). For example, Ned the Firefighter needs to climb into a burning building, which requires a Climbing (Might) check. The climb is of average difficulty, so Ned requires two hits to succeed. Luckily, Ned has one rank in Climbing (adding an extra die to the roll) and is an incredibly strong fellow with a Might score of 4. Additionally, his partner Jack has brought an easily climbable ladder and is holding it steady against the building while Ned ascends, giving him a +5 modifier. Ned’s modified dice pool comes out to 11 (Fate Die + Might Score + Skill Ranks + Modifiers), which puts him over 9 by 2; the Rule of Nine grants him two extra hits. In essence, Ned has scored two hits before even rolling the dice! However, even with the Rule of Nine in effect, mishaps and critical failures can still occur. As assured as victory may seem, luck may not necessarily be siding with the character! Category:Browse Category:RPG